BURKE CO., N.C. — Officials with the Burke County Health Department informed Burke County Public Schools on Wednesday of a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Table Rock Middle School and Drexel Elementary School.
Health officials say they believe the clusters are linked with the schools’ open houses on August 19th.
Both schools will remain open for in-person classes and the district does not plan to move the schools or particular classrooms to remote learning at this time, according to a news release.
Health officials say a cluster is defined as a minimum of five confirmed diagnostic cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and a plausible link between the cases.
Burke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan says, “We will have extra staff in the buildings this evening conducting a thorough cleaning of the schools. We will continue other mitigating factors as well and remind students to properly wear their masks, practice social distancing when possible and wash their hands often. We also ask that parents please know the symptoms of COVID-19 and keep your child home if they are sick. When in doubt, we ask that you contact your health care provider and/or the school nurse. We continue to make the health and safety of students and staff a priority.”
Health officials remind everyone the symptoms of COVID are as follows:
- Fever (100.o° fever or higher) or chills
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- New loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Congestion or runny nose
